Best David Ellis Audiobooks

The best David Ellis audiobooks — 9 titles ranked by listening experience across Thriller, Mystery, averaging 4.08 ABR stars.

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David Ellis writes the kind of legal thriller that actually knows how the law works — because he spent years as a courtroom attorney before turning to fiction. That insider credibility runs through everything: the procedural detail is exact, the moral ambiguity is real, and the plot twists feel earned rather than cheap. His Billy Harney series, led by The Black Book and The Red Book, follows a Chicago detective with a gift for trouble, moving at a pace that makes it genuinely hard to stop reading. Line of Vision, his Edgar Award-winning debut, announced a writer with serious instincts for psychological tension. Ellis is best when he's layering competing loyalties — cops, lawyers, politicians, all with something to hide. If you want thrillers with authentic legal and procedural texture, not just courtroom set dressing, Ellis delivers.

David Ellis's highest-rated audiobook in our collection is The Black Book, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini (4.46 ABR stars). Performed by narrators including Edoardo Ballerini, January LaVoy, Kevin T. Collins, January LaVoy, and more. Rankings here weight the listening experience — narrator performance and Audible ratings factor alongside reader scores.

Where to Start with David Ellis

  1. 1
    The Black Book cover

    The Black Book

    Billy Harney • Book 1

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

    ★ 4.46 ABR Score (58.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (43.4K) ★ 4.42 Audible (15.4K)
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    Chicago cop Billy Harney wakes up next to three corpses with no memory of how he got there, launching a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of city politics.

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  2. 2
    Invisible cover

    Invisible

    Invisible • Book 1

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    Narrated by January LaVoy, Kevin T. Collins

    ★ 4.36 ABR Score (57.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (49.2K) ★ 4.39 Audible (8.6K)
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    FBI researcher Emmy Dockery connects hundreds of unsolved kidnappings to one invisible killer, but only her ex-boyfriend agent Books will listen before the pattern turns deadly personal.

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  3. 3
    Escape cover

    Escape

    Billy Harney • Book 3

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

    ★ 4.54 ABR Score (18.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.33 Goodreads (16.2K) ★ 4.7 Audible (2.3K)
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    Detective Billy Harney investigates a billionaire crime boss down to his last twenty million—and currently behind bars. Edoardo Ballerini captures the gritty Chicago atmosphere and Harney's determination perfectly.

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  4. 4
    Guilty Wives cover

    Guilty Wives

    by James Patterson, David Ellis

    Narrated by January LaVoy

    ★ 4.18 ABR Score (40.0K ratings)
    ★ 3.9 Goodreads (37.5K) ★ 4.37 Audible (2.6K)
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    Four wives take a no-husbands Monte Carlo getaway that ends in murder charges, and January LaVoy captures their desperation as evidence mounts against them.

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  5. 5
    Breach of Trust cover

    Breach of Trust

    Jason Kolarich • Book 2

    by David Ellis

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    ★ 3.87 ABR Score (2.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.93 Goodreads (1.6K) ★ 4.08 Audible (546)
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    Defense attorney Jason Kolarich, still reeling from his family's deaths, takes a case involving his murdered confidential informant and corruption that reaches the highest levels. Luke Daniels captures Kolarich's pain and determination to find justice.

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  6. 6
    The Wrong Man cover

    The Wrong Man

    Jason Kolarich • Book 3

    by David Ellis

    Narrated by Luke Daniels

    ★ 4.02 ABR Score (2.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.04 Goodreads (1.7K) ★ 4.37 Audible (286)
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    Lawyer Jason Kolarich takes what seems like a clear-cut insanity defense for a traumatized veteran, only to discover his client might actually be innocent.

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  7. 7
    Line of Vision cover

    Line of Vision

    by David Ellis

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    ★ 3.49 ABR Score (2.4K ratings)
    ★ 3.92 Goodreads (1.8K) ★ 3.84 Audible (602)
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    Marty Kalish suffocates in his affair with married Rachel until her husband vanishes, making him the prime suspect. Dick Hill navigates the unreliable narrator territory as evidence mounts against someone clearly guilty of something.

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  8. 8
    The Last Alibi cover

    The Last Alibi

    Jason Kolarich • Book 4

    by David Ellis

    Narrated by Luke Daniels, Tanya Eby

    ★ 4.02 ABR Score (2.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (2.0K) ★ 4.22 Audible (194)
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    Defense attorney Jason Kolarich takes on a geeky client who believes he's being framed for two murders in this twisty legal thriller. Dual narrators Luke Daniels and Tanya Eby keep the tension crackling.

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  9. 9
    Eye of the Beholder cover

    Eye of the Beholder

    by David Ellis

    Narrated by Dick Hill

    ★ 3.80 ABR Score (1.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.83 Goodreads (1.4K) ★ 3.87 Audible (60)
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    Prosecutor Paul Riley built his career on convicting a serial killer, but fifteen years later, new murders suggest his famous case isn't closed.

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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →